Equality Act

February 25, 2021 | H.R. 5

Currently, LGBTQ+ individuals lack basic legal protections in states across the country because federal law does not contain explicit LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections. They can be denied goods and services, evicted from their homes and/or fired from their jobs due to their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. When coupled with our weak federal labor law and the difficulty in organizing a union in the workplace, the overwhelming majority of workers in the country who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements that regularly include "just cause" provisions are "at-will" employees and have few protections against employer retaliation.

The Equality Act expands civil rights law to include LGBTQ+ individuals. It would extend all anti-discrimination protection to LGBTQ+ Americans in access to employment, housing, education, public accommodations, credit, jury service and the use of Federal funds. Furthermore, H.R. 5 will ensure that all workers in the country will have protection from being fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity, even if they lack a union contract that would protect against that sort of discrimination.